The iconic figure of appropriation art, Richard Prince, takes center stage at Marfa’s Hetzler Gallery with his solo exhibition, Posters. Since the 1970s, Prince has transformed mass media and pop culture imagery like an alchemist, decoding the myths of the American Dream and counterculture.
The exhibition showcases monumental canvases and paper works created between 2014 and 2024, reviving the familiar yet forgotten poster advertisements from the back pages of 20th-century magazines. Drawing from the late 1960s’ hippie culture, these works feature political slogans, cheap pop posters, and excerpts from music and comedy records, scaled up to striking, monumental proportions. From anti-war cries to modern art reproductions, graphic interpretations of nude figures, and unexpected cat imagery, this “random” selection invites viewers into a visual labyrinth.
Prince meticulously extracts these everyday images and cultural phenomena, placing his source materials at the heart of his practice with full transparency. His precise attention to detail and knack for recontextualizing imagery skillfully expose the hidden messages and societal attitudes embedded in contemporary visual language. Each “poster” poses a provocative question about how the familiar can become alien.
This Marfa exhibition is more than a display of posters; it’s a cultural archaeology reshaped by Prince’s sharp wit and a daring reflection on American popular memory. As past images come alive on today’s walls, they challenge us to question our history and how we interpret it.
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